President Trump has issued an Executive Order calling for reduced reliance on imports of 23 minerals deemed critical for economic and defense requirements. This fits with the recently released National Security Strategy, and relies on promoting domestic production and recycling. U.S. imports of the 23 minerals (of which platinum represents 58%) have increased 29% in the past year to reach $6.9 billion. The most pressing need may be for the automotive industry, and specifically batteries for electric vehicles where cobalt imports have risen 73% in dollar terms and lithium in 28%. Of more ...